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JIPA Representatives to Myanmar, Thai, and Singapore

JIPA sent 8-member representative delegation led by the leader Nobutoshi Mori to Myanmar, Thai, and Singapore from December 14 to 19, 2013. The dispatch of the delegation to South- East Asia is the first time since 2008, reflecting growing demand for strengthening of Japan-ASEAN relationship & ASEAN IP information.

<Myanmar>
Union of Myanmar Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (UMFCCI), JETRO Yangon, Rajah & Tann LLP

<Thailand>
Thai Department of Intellectual Property, IPG&JETRO Bangkok, Tilleke & Gibbins,

<Singapore>
Intellectual Property Office of Singapore, felicite IP Consulting

Major goals include: in Myanmar, to collect IP and license information necessary for Japanese companies to launch business in Myanmar, while the IP system is under construction in cooperation with JPO and WIPO this year; in Thailand, to grasp the progress of the draft revision of the Patent Law and the Trademark Law that had been presented in 2008; and in Singapore, to ask for the further progress of the ASEAN Working Group on Intellectual Property Cooperation (AWGIPC) in which the Singapore Patent Office acts as a chairperson.

The visit was timely, since this year is the 40th anniversary of Japan-ASEAN Partnership and the special top-level meeting held in Tokyo was thus reported in news on TV and radio during the visit. Frank & meaningful discussion was conducted at any organization, which also forged the relationship with each organization.

[Update 2013-12-24 ]